Pima County partners in prescription discount card program

PostedMar 20, 2013

Pima County is sponsoring a discount prescription card designed to provide families and individuals with significant savings on prescription drug costs.

The Coast2Coast Rx card is available to all residents for free, regardless of age, health status or income. And while it is not insurance or designed to replace insurance, it is particularly beneficial for individuals with no or limited prescription drug coverage.

Pima County Supervisors Sharon Bronson and Richard Elías will share information in a press conference about the card, which also offers consumers savings on a host of other services, including dental, vision, hearing assistance, veterinary needs, diabetes supplies and even lab or imaging tests.

The card, issued by Financial Marketing Concepts, is accepted at major pharmacy chains as well as most local independent pharmacies and includes more than 60,000 drugs in its formulary. Savings vary by drug and by pharmacy, but since the card launched here in August, the average savings on purchases made in the Pima County area with the card is roughly 68 percent off the full price of prescription drugs.

“With the growing cost of health care, this card is one more tool that may help individuals and families afford the medications they need the most,” said Supervisor Bronson.

Supervisor Elías agreed. “Since the card is free and easy to use, it provides an option that could help reduce the burden of paying for the high costs of prescription medicine and other services.”

Those with health insurance may still find the card helpful, since it might provide savings on medications that are not covered by their health plan. Those with high-deductible plans may also find the card useful, since in some cases, the co-pay may be higher than the price of a prescription under the card.

“By adopting the Coast2Coast Rx card, Pima County has joined the more than 300 governmental entities nationwide that offer this public service to their constituents, allowing them collectively to save tens of millions of dollars each year on the prescriptions they need,” said Martin Dettelbach, the chief marketing officer for Financial Marketing Concepts.

A complete list of participating pharmacies can be found at www.coast2coastrx.com. The cities of Phoenix, Glendale, Gilbert and Chandler have also partnered with Coast2Coast Rx.